The Wild Duck Cluster in Scutum, also known as Messier 11 and NGC 6705, is a jewel of the deep summer sky and one of the most spectacular open clusters in the sky. In fact, first-time viewers through the eyepiece might think they are looking at a globular cluster, so rich are the clusters. It also has the advantage of being located at the northern edge of the Scutum star cloud, in a spectacular summer Milky Way field filled with a myriad of bright stars.
Scutum, the Shield, is one of the smaller constellations, but it does feature the Wild Duck Cluster and Messier 26, a beautiful open cluster in its own right. Scutum is largely sandwiched between Aquila, the Eagle, to the north and east, and Sagittarius, the Archer, to the south. Its entirety lies south of the celestial equator, so it does not rise too high from UK shores. In mid-month, the Wild Duck Cluster peaks at around 10.30pm BST at an altitude of 32° from London.
The Mallard Cluster shines with an integrated magnitude of +5.8 of its nearly 700 member stars spanning 25'. A pair of 10 x 50 binoculars shows it as a prominent, unresolved haze 1.8 degrees southeast of magnitude +4.2 beta Scuti. A three-inch (80 mm) telescope can resolve about 100 suns, and the star count increases to about 150 through a six-inch (150 mm) telescope.
The nickname for this group was coined by 19th-century observer William Henry Smyth; so you see a flock of wild ducks in flight?
Messier 26 (NGC 6694) lies 3.5 degrees south-southwest of Messier 11. With an integrated magnitude of +8, it is a good target to enjoy after Messier 11. A 150mm telescope shows about 20 stars in a 7' wide area.
